racing

[alejandro]

Hello allI was just remembering one anecdote I read somewhere (maybe in a version of Plutarch's Paralell Lifes adapted for kids since I read it a long time ago, but I am not sure). If I remember it properly, Alexander was in his teens and his gymnastics teacher (or equivalent) told him that he was fast enough to run in the Olympics. Alexander allegedly answered "I won't. I would do it only if my rivals were kings" (or something in line with this idea). I remember myself thinking it was a very arrogant answer, but then the author pointed out that it was actually an example of his hatred for adulation since Alexander had meant that he wouldn't do it against simple citizens that could let him win in order to gain his favour or his father's.
Did you know about this? Is it in a credible source?
In any case, I think it is interesting because it is a good example how the same facts can be interpreted in different (and sometimes opposite) ways. That is, even "facts" present in credible sources can be distorted by the author's interpretation (if not deliberate adulteration).
In any case -and maybe I am too romantic and biased in my opinion- I prefer to think that Alex answered that because of the second option (though, on the other hand, why would Greek athlets look for the favours of the Macedonian king's son?). What do you think?
RegardsAlejandro

[ruthaki]

I do remember having read this too, but I can't recall where. I doubt it was meant as an 'arrogant' remark. For sure whoever raced against him would be obliged to let him win -- he was the crown prince, after all. He certainly wasn't against competing in sports events with his friends.

[davej]

If had have competed it would have added a whole new dimension to the Greek Macedonian Debate as only Greeks where allowed to enter the Olymipic games, until Roman occupation. Can't remeber the exact date. I seem to remeber something about a Macedonian king actually entering the games which is one of the causes for debate. I hope this does not start the whole Macedonian/ Greek thing again.Sorry if I started something.

[ruthaki]

At Olympia there is a large 'shrine', the Philippeon, dedicated to the Macedonian royal family that once included statues of the entire family, Philip, Alexander, Olympias. Also one of the marble portraits of a young Alexander was also found at Olympia. So why did Philip have this erected if they were not allowed to compete (the Macedonians, I mean).

[agesilaos]

Philip actually sponsored the winning chariot at one Olympics and commemorated it on his tetradrachms by the 350 s Macedonia was too powerful to leave out of the Hellenic world

[ruthaki]

Thank you for that. I'd forgotten that little detail, about the chariot race. You are right, by then Philip was in control of things and they could not be ignored.

[alejandro]

Hi allActually, the same day of Alexander's birth one of Philip's horses won an important victory. I think it didnGÇÖt win in Olympia, but in another Greek games. In any case, and though there is always the controversy over whether Macedonians were considered Greeks by the Greeks from Athens/Thebes/Sparta, I think they were allowed to participate in those game (again, I am not sure about the Olympics in particular). In addition, Macedonian kings descended from Argive ancestors (and supposed to be descendants of I-don't-remember-which mythological hero), so I think this could have been enough to let them participate.
Best wishesAlejandro

[yiannis]

They were claiming to be descenants of Heracles (Hercules).

[ruthaki]

And Olympias claimed her family were descendants of Achilles (something to do with the fact Hecuba was taken away by him at the end of the Troy Wars.)

[marcus]

Actually, Ruth, the descent was from Achilles via his son Neoptolemos, who was born before the Trojan war started. Unfortunately I can't remember who the mother of Neoptolemos' children was - it might well have been a Trojan princess, but any inter-breeding with the Trojans was by Neoptolemos, not Achilles. All the bestMarcus

[wmp]

Marcus, Ruth - the mother of Neoptolemus's
children was Andromache, widow of Hektor of
Ilion/Troy. Neoptolemus also married
Hermione, daughter of Helen & Menelaus,
before he was killed by Orestes, son of
Agamemnon & Klytemnestra, and their union
was childless... Euripides' "Andromache" tells
one version of the tale... There's a shrine to
Neoptolemus in Delphi (last time I saw it, it was
being used to store restoration rubble!).enjoy....
wmp

[marcus]

Just checked this, actually, and it appears that the Epirote royal family was descended from Molossos, who was the son of Neoptolemos and Andromache, who was Hektor's widow. So it was a Trojan princess!Interesting, also, that Neoptolemos' mother was apparently married off to Helenos, one of the only sons of Priam to survive the sack of Troy, and Helenos ruled Epiros for a while before Molossos.All the bestMarcus